Tesla Biography
Originally known as City Kid, this blues-based, hard rock quintet were formed in Sacramento, California, USA. Named after the scientist Nikola Tesla, Jeff Keith (12 October 1958, Texarkana, Arkansas, USA; vocals), Tommy Skeoch (guitar/vocals), Frank Hannon (b. 1965, Los Angeles, California, USA; guitar/keyboards), Brian Wheat (bass/vocals) and Troy Luccketta (drums) came together in 1984 They signed to Geffen Records in 1986 and recorded Mechanical Resonance, a universally acclaimed debut that ranks alongside that of Montrose's first album in terms of setting new standards. The title was taken from one of Tesla's theories and combined raunchy metallic rock with blues and rock 'n' roll influences. Jeff Keith's impassioned vocals gave the material an added dimension, as the songs alternated between passionate, gut-wrenching ballads and crazy, fuel-injected rockers. The album eventually took off in the USA, reaching number 32 on the Billboard album chart. The Great Radio Controversy saw the band rapidly maturing, with a highly polished, but no-less energetic collection of songs that were saturated with infectious riffs and subtle hook-lines. The ballad, "Love Song", became a US Top 10 hit, while the album climbed to number 18 on the national charts.
Tesla's third collection created something of a precedent, a live album that was totally acoustic and included a number of inspired cover versions. It highlighted the band's humour, technical excellence and ability to entertain, and included their biggest US hit, a version of the Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs". Psychotic Supper showed they could easily switch back to power-mode, with a near 70-minute onslaught of high-energy hard rock numbers. Tesla defied convention, refusing to conform to any particular image and remaining gimmick free, choosing instead to tour relentlessly (for over a year to support Psychotic Supper, playing over 138 shows in the process). Bust A Nut included a cover version of Joe South's "Games People Play", and offered a further blast of superbly declaimed traditional, neo-purist, heavy metal. Skeoch left the band in mid-1995. The remaining members continued to tour as a quartet before also calling it a day. Skeoch teamed up with his former colleagues in October 2000 to play a live set in Sacramento, which was subsequently extended into a fully fledged reunion tour and resulted in the extensive RePlugged Live. A new studio album followed in early 2004.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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